


seven

by imposterhuman



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Young Tony Stark, i tagged it as a ship but they ARE children so keep that in mind, swingset shenanigans, young Steve rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25769269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: “Steve?” Tony said in a shaky voice that felt like it didn’t belong to him.“Yeah, Tony?” Steve turned his head to look at him. Tony didn’t take his eyes off the sky.“Do you think we’ll always be friends?” asked Tony. He linked their pinkies.“Of course we will,” Steve said confidently. “Why wouldn’t we?”
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 89





	seven

**Author's Note:**

> for au-gust day 7: childhood friends au
> 
> highkey inspired by both taylor swift's "seven" and my own nostalgia for the somewhat rickety swingsets of my elementary school playground
> 
> enjoy!!

Tony kicked his feet up, scattering mulch everywhere as his swing arced through the air. He let out a laugh when it reached its peak. Instead of the constant calculations that usually ran through his head, telling him how high he was, how fast he was going, the force with which he’d hit the ground if he fell, Tony closed his eyes and thought about flying, instead. Not the math of it, but how it would feel, the wind whipping around his face and the weightlessness of it all. He thought about letting go of the ropes and letting himself fly for real for a moment, but in the end, it was his indecision that made the choice for him. 

The swing was falling backwards again, Tony still holding on tightly. He leaned back with it and opened his eyes again, watching Steve giggle as his own swing peaked. His best friend looked like he belonged in the sky, with his bird bones and hair like sunshine. Steve wasn’t afraid to leap off, landing gracelessly on his hands and knees in the mulch, still laughing. On Tony’s next swing, he joined Steve on the ground. 

“I’ve never done that before,” he admitted, the tooth he lost a week ago causing him to lisp a little. Tony didn’t worry that Steve was going to judge him for not knowing a lot of things that other kids did, like how to make his swing go as high as it could go, or the best way to get across the monkey bars without his arms getting tired. Steve was his best friend, and best friends didn’t make fun of each other.

Steve smiled, just like Tony knew he would. “Wasn’t it fun?” he asked, picking the mulch out of his palms. “Ma says I can’t do it too much, or I’ll hurt my ankles, but I think one more time is okay. Wanna go again?”

“Yeah,” said Tony, brushing the dirt off of his knees. “One more time. You know, if you wait a little longer before you jump, you can go a lot higher. I did the math.”

“You’re super smart,” said Steve, getting on his swing. Tony sat on the one next to him, and together they started moving. 

“I’m not that smart,” Tony ducked his head to avoid Steve’s eyes. “It was nothing.”

“It was cool,” Steve argued, flicking his hand at Tony and sending his swing spiraling for a second. “So you tell me when to jump. I trust you.”

Tony felt himself blush with the compliment. He pumped his legs in time with Steve’s, keeping their swings equal as they gained momentum. Back and forth and back and forth they swung together. Tony felt the odd urge to grab Steve’s hand, but he knew that that would send both of their swings swinging wildly and ruin their jump. He looked at Steve, only to find that his friend was already staring back.

“Look!” Steve pointed out gleefully. “We’re married!”

Tony wrinkled his nose in confusion. “What does that mean?” 

He knew what marriage was, obviously, because he wasn’t a baby, but he didn’t know how it applied to swingsets. With anyone else, he would’ve been too afraid to ask, but it felt safe to be unsure of things in front of Steve. He kept swinging as he waited for the answer.

“It means our swings are going at the exact same speed,” Steve explained. “Look, see how we’re right next to each other?”

Tony nodded with understanding and grinned widely. The equations for velocity flew right out of his head as he pumped his legs in time with Steve, keeping their swings as close together as he could. 

“Ready to jump?” Tony judged that they were high enough to get a really good jump this time. 

Steve nodded. “Just tell me when.”

“Ready, set,  _ jump _ !” Tony shouted as their swings hit their peaks. He wasn’t afraid to let go of the ropes this time. He flew through the air in gleeful opposition to gravity for a moment that felt like a lifetime, Steve right by his side. Tony kept his eyes open and looked up at the clear sky, even as he landed in a pile of limbs on the grass. His calculations had been right; he’d gotten them their maximum lift. As a result, they’d overshot the mulch patch that the swingset sat upon and landed in the soft grass, still wet with the morning’s dew.

Instead of standing up, Tony rolled onto his back and stared at the clouds. Next to him, Steve did the same. Their pinkies just barely touched where their hands laid together. 

Tony couldn’t have said what came over him right then. His heart was pounding from the adrenaline of the jump, and maybe that was to blame. Maybe it was the magic that came with being alone on a playground, without the screaming laughter of the other kids on the slide.

“Steve?” Tony said in a shaky voice that felt like it didn’t belong to him. 

“Yeah, Tony?” Steve turned his head to look at him. Tony didn’t take his eyes off the sky.

“Do you think we’ll always be friends?” asked Tony. He linked their pinkies. 

“Of course we will,” Steve said confidently. “Why wouldn’t we?”

“What if you stop liking me?” Tony whispered. He closed his eyes against the burning tears. Tony was a big boy, far too old for crying. And anyway, Stark men didn’t cry.

Steve responded in the same assured tone, almost forceful in its belief. “That won’t happen,” he said. “You’re my best friend.”

Grass tickled his nose as Tony finally turned to look at the other boy. “You’re my best friend, too,” he said.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Steve sat up with a grin. His shirt was grass-stained, and Tony knew his had to look the same. “Last one to the monkey bars is a rotten egg!”

He took off running. Tony was only a stumbling half-step behind him, laughing all the while. 

**Author's Note:**

> so, the "married" thing is something we did as little kids. i asked on tumblr, and it seems like a mixed bag of responses to whether or not people knew what it meant, but it was kind of adorable (especially because it was before we learned homophobia, so i walked around the playground all recess once hand in hand with my wife and no one said a word). let me know if you guys did this: i'm super curious!
> 
> comments and kudos make me happy :))
> 
> come talk to me on tumblr [@imposter-human](https://imposter-human.tumblr.com/)


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